Integrated Tree Cropping Experience With FSC

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Integrated Tree Cropping - Experience With FSC
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ITC Company Overview

• ITC established in Albany W.A in 1990 by Bruce
  Mattinson.
• Grown in size from an initial 800 ha to now
  managing 110,000 ha for various clients across
  five states.
• The company has always had a strong environmental
  values.
• Currently employees 30 full time staff and
  numerous contractors in local areas.

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Why FSC for ITC

• Strong environmental ethos.
• Involvement in many local environmental projects.
• Commitment to Sustainable forest management.
• Achieved ISO 14001accreditation
• Customer preference.

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Customers Choice

• ITCs major clients who comprise major pulp wood
  trading houses and pulp mills prefer wood grown
  in a sustainable manner in preference to old
  growth or native forest timbers.
• However there is no premium paid for this
  product!!

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Excerpt from The Japan Times(On-line
http//http//www.japantimes.co.jp/)
Demand rises for goods from legally logged
trees(4 September 2003) The popularity of
products made from trees certified as having been
legally logged is spreading in Japan as consumers
become more environmentally aware.   Mitsukoshi
Ltd., a leading department store chain, set up
its first wood-products sales area in its
flagship store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district in
August.   It featured wooden home goods --
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a
Germany-based nongovernmental organization --
that targeted adults and children.   While
critics slammed Mitsukoshi for merely trying to
cash in on heightened environmental
sensitivities, Wataru Tokinoya, the store's sales
manager, said the wood-products section was set
up to help people understand the importance of
forests.   He said visitors to the store seem to
be more interested in FSC goods than other items
on sale.
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Demand rises for goods from legally logged trees
(continued)  "I had no way of knowing the origin
of the wood and paper products we usually
procure. The spread of the certification system
will contribute to adequate supervision of
forests," said Seiichiro Otsuji, board director
of the Sanshokai group, which is made up of World
Wildlife Fund-affiliated firms that handle
FSC-certified wood products.   Forestry
specialists say forests are disappearing because
trees are being illegally logged.   Globally
recognized FSC certificates are only issued to
loggers that properly manage forests, can pass
strict checks and consider such issues as
ecological diversity.   On the domestic front,
nature groups, including the Japan office of the
WWF established in 1971, act as intermediaries to
further enhance local awareness of the
environment and help market FSC-certified wood
products.   Ten Japanese forests, including
those managed by the Hayami Ringyo forestry
company in Mie Prefecture and Yusuhara Shinrin
Kumiai forestry cooperative in Kochi Prefecture,
are certified by the FSC.   Local governments
and forest owners are scrambling to be certified.
  The Japanese paper pulp industry, which uses
great quantities of lumber, leads the pack in
securing FSC approval.   Mitsubishi Paper Mills
Ltd. was the first company in the industry to
import FSC-certified lumber from its forest in
Chile last year.   Nippon Paper Industries Co.,
an industry leader, announced in August that it
will obtain FSC certificates for all its forests,
both in Japan and abroad.   Industry sources say
the use of lumber from trees grown and felled
properly will complement the recycling of paper.
 
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Initial FSC assessment of ITC

• Non - Conformance with the FSC standard in the
  following major areas.
• Management planning.
• Native forest management.
• Liaison with indigenous communities.
• Chemical use (simazine, 1080).
• Community consultation.

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ITC response to assessment

• Following the initial assessment ITC set about
  rectifying the areas of weakness against the
  standard.
• Changes made in our chemical use.
• Management plan format changed.
• Flora and Fauna assessments of native forest
  undertaken.
• This is a gradual process and is ongoing a
  number of works in progress.
• Increased level of public participation.

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Environmental Projects

• Fox Control Program in the S.W. of W.A .
• Support for the Mallee fowl preservation group.
• Eastern Barred Bandicoot project.
• Corridor plantings. (G.T. and W.A.)
• Streamlining. (Replanting stream zones)

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Fox Control Project (VIC)
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Projects with Indigenous Community

• Gidarjil project in Queensland.
• Employment of aboriginal staff in the sandalwood
  project in Kununurra W.A.
• Liaison with local landowners in fox baiting
  Boddington W.A.

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ITC Chemical use in Plantations

• Cessation of the use of Simazine from our
  operations.
• Application of fertilisers undertaken after
  extensive foliar analysis and recommendations
  made by an independent third party.
• Application for a derogation to continue using
  1080 for fox control.
• Participation in an industry group to look at
  alternative chemicals for the plantation industry.

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FSC Audit Sept 2003

• Full FSC audit undertaken in the past 10 days
  highlighted the following-

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Where to From Here for ITC

• Undertake all our forest management activities in
  line with the FSC standard and the FSC principles
• Progress the certification to other outlying ITC
  activities eg (Solidwood QLD and Sandalwood W.A )
• Support the introduction of the FSC in forest
  management across Australia.

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Strengths of FSC Standard

• FSC is the only global standard.
• Strong standard in regard to the triple bottom
  line ( economic, social and environment).
• FSC is supported by Non Government organisations.
• Preferred by major pulpwood customers.
• FSC has chain of custody facility

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Weaknesses of the FSC Standard

• Standard set up primarily to assist organisations
  in third world countries
• No premium paid for products produced in
  compliance with the standard.
• Chemical standards are set without consultation
  with industry. (Aust)

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Summary

• In undertaking to conform to the Forest
  Stewardship Council standard ITC has committed to
  climb up the FSC staircase that will ultimately
  lead to continuously improving forest management!!

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Presentation Concludes